Everything Changes in LA
by HeathMarie
Summary: One shot. My take on the hotel scene in the episode "To Love and Die in LA".  My first attempt at fanfiction, so please be gentle!  **Contains episode spoilers**


_I've been a reader on this site for a long time, but this is the first time I've written my own story. I saw the sneak peak of the hotel scene for tonight episode "To Love and Die in LA" and I felt the need to write this. It didn't turn out exactly how I planned, and I'm not fond of the ending but I've always been terrible at those. If you like it, tell me... if you hate it, well I guess you can tell me that too. Haha! _

_Castle isn't mine... unfortunately._

* * *

><p>It had been an excruciatingly long day.<p>

Going to the crime scene the previous morning, the last person she ever imagined she'd see laying on the ground was Royce. No one had even given her a heads up, which now that she thought about it was probably for the better. The last time she spoke to Royce, or saw him for that matter, had been the night she arrested him. Last she heard, they'd revoked his bounty hunters license and he'd moved to LA.

But now he was back. And he was dead.

The Captain had more or less banned her from the case. Technically, he'd told her she could continue working as the lead detective even though he knew she was too close the case. But when he learned her main suspect had flown back to LA and she intended on following him? That was the end of that.

So she'd requested some time off to mourn the loss of her ex-partner… with the sole intent of going to LA to see what she could dig up. The last thing she expected was for Castle to tell her he was coming with her.

She was actually really glad he was coming along. The death of Royce had torn her up; even after what had happened the last time they'd seen each other. Having Castle around always seemed to make things just a little easier to bear. This would be no exception.

They'd caught a flight out of New York late that night. The following morning when they'd arrived, they got right to work on the case. They followed lead after lead, all of which had just led them in circles.

An entire day spent running around LA and they'd gotten nowhere. The fact that she had gone rogue didn't help matters either. She couldn't even rely on the LAPD to help or give her access to any information since she wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place.

Finally, feeling utterly exhausted, they decided to call it quits for the day. She had booked a room at a cheap hotel, miles away from where they were working. Unfortunately, it was all she could afford on her cop salary.

Castle, on the other hand, had booked a luxury suite at an expensive hotel nearby. When she told him where she was staying, he insisted she call and cancel her reservations and stay with him. Clearly sensing how uncomfortable she was with that idea, he assured her that there were two bedrooms and that he would be a perfect gentleman. Plus, this way they could brainstorm ideas on the case for a little while longer.

When they walked into his suite that night, she couldn't believe her eyes. She had never been in a room that unbelievably….. _awesome._ Literally, that was the only word she could come up with to describe it. Castle didn't seem fazed by it at all.

They ordered room service and a couple bottles of wine, then sat and talked for hours. They talked about the case, about where they planned to start the next day, and about Royce. She told him stories of their days together when he was her training office, laughing at the memories. Neither of them mentioned the night of the arrest.

Castle went to the kitchen and refilled their wine glasses, then started back towards her. She had gotten silent, memories of Royce flooding her mind. After a few quiet moments, Castle spoke.

"You know what I thought when I first met you?" He sat down on the couch next to her.

"Hm?" She ran a hand through her hair and raised her eyebrows in question.

He continued. "That you were a mystery I was never going to solve."

That wasn't what she'd expected to hear. But then again, Castle always did have a way of surprising her. She knew he wasn't finished, so she sat quietly and let him continue.

"Even now, after spending all this time with you… I'm still amazed at the depths of your strength," he paused, and then added, "your heart".

She smiled at him and nodded her head, accepting the compliment.

"Your hotness."

She grinned. Now _that_ was the Castle she knew.

"You're not so bad yourself, Castle." She glanced up at him as she said it, smiling at their casual banter.

The look on his face told her everything she needed to know. She saw the humor in his eyes, knowing he was teasing her, but also knowing that he meant what he said. She knew his feelings for her ran deeper than he said out loud. Hers did too, but those feelings were better left unsaid.

_Weren't they?_

They stared at each other, neither daring to say what was on their minds. Finally, she looked away and knew their moment was over.

"I should go" she said quietly, "It's late."

His eyes never left her as she rose from the couch. She looked at him one last time then whispered "good night" and headed for her room. She was almost to the door when she heard his voice.

"Kate…"

She turned and looked at him one last time. She wanted nothing more than to stay with him, to spend the night with him, but she knew she couldn't. She wouldn't.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Goodnight Castle."

She walked into the bedroom before she could change her mind and closed the door behind her. Leaning back against the door, she ran her hands through her hair and inhaled deeply. Walking away from him just then was one of the hardest things she'd ever done.

Her mind was racing with a million different thoughts. She thought about when she'd first met Castle, how she'd hated the idea of him following her around. She remembered the fear she'd felt at the thought of losing him during the 3XK case, and about the night they'd caught Hal Lockwood. She thought about the kiss.

_The kiss._

It had been a decoy, but it had been so real. So full of the emotions and feelings that had been pent up for far too long. That kiss had changed everything.

She ran her hands up and down her face and stared at the closed door. She knew he was out there, willing her to come back out. She reached her hand out towards the handle and then paused. She wanted so badly to go back out to him, but she knew it was a bad idea. _Wasn't it?_

Her mind was still racing; she thought about the bomb threat, and about her and Castle facing death on multiple occasions during that case. When they were locked in that freezer, before she'd passed out, she'd almost told him she loved him.

At first, she'd chalked it all up to the fact that she wasn't thinking straight because they'd been locked in that freezer for hours. Now, looking back, she knew it was the truth. She did love him.

Finally making the decision, she opened the door and walked back out into the sitting area to face Castle.

He wasn't there.

She was shocked. She was so sure he would be on the other side of that door waiting for her. Realizing she had been wrong, that she had imagined the whole thing, she slowly turned to go back into her room.

"Kate? Are you alright?" She froze when she heard his voice.

She quickly turned around, a smile creeping onto her face as she started walking towards him.

He was standing on the other side of the suite, having just headed off towards his own room. He looked puzzled, and a little worried.

"Yea, Castle, I'm ok. Never better." She stopped and smiled at him, trying to convey to him all she was thinking and feeling at that moment.

In true Castle fashion, he seemed to understand exactly what she was trying to tell him.

He strode towards her, pulled her into his arms, and then with only the slightest bit of hesitation, he kissed her.

His kiss was just as she'd remembered it. Their lips were completely in sync, and their bodies seemed to fit together so perfectly. Her heart swelled with the love she'd finally admitted to herself that she felt for him.

After a few minutes, he put his hands on her shoulders and pulled back slightly. She groaned at the absence of him against her.

"Kate…. Are you sure about this? It's been a long couple of days and you've been through a lot."

"I'm sure, Castle. I've been sure for a very long time… I just didn't want to admit it." She leaned in for another kiss but he pulled back again.

"I just don't want you to have any regrets." He looked so cute, she thought to herself, standing there completely unsure of himself.

"No regrets, I promise." She tried once more to kiss him, but he stopped her yet again.

"OK, good I'm glad. Because I, for one, have b-" She cut him off, silencing him by putting her hand over his mouth.

"Castle! For god sakes, will you just shut the hell up and kiss me already?"

He smiled at her and then placed his hands on either side of her face. Without missing a beat, he said, "I never thought I'd hear you say those words, but I know better than to disobey a direct order."

And with that, his mouth sealed over hers for a kiss that neither of them was sure to ever forget.


End file.
